Students to have their summer holidays cut short

Hundreds of high school students will have their summer holidays cut short.

Pupils at three Fylde schools will see their six-week holiday reduced by a week, although their October half-term holiday will be doubled.

The move will affect youngsters at Unity Academy, Aspire Academy, and Montgomery High School, who are all part of the Fylde Coast Academy Trust (FCAT).

The sponsor’s director of resources John Topping, said cutting the traditional long summer holiday down even further could be on the cards.

He said: “We will have to see how going down to five weeks works first.

“‘We have been considering the length of the summer holidays and its impact upon students’ motivation and learning for some time now.

“By taking the last week off the summer break we hope that all our youngsters across FCAT will get back to their studies that bit quicker and everything they learned the previous term will be fresher in their minds.”

The change means youngsters will return to class on August 31 next year.

Earlier this year, lessons got under way on September 7.

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden had mixed views: “All schools now have the ability to make these changes and they all have their reasons for it.

“In general terms, to spread the load in terms of holidays is possibly a good thing but what most parents want is some consistency, especially if they have children at different schools.

Several schools have already approached FCAT for advice following the change, Mr Topping said, adding: “It just provides for a more balanced distribution between term time holidays, hopefully leading to improved student learning outcomes.”